As PDP rolls its selfish agenda into 2015

Nigeria is lingering at a crossroads. It is grappling with the desire of a clique of politically insolvent leaders to perpetuate themselves and their cronies in power for economic gains. This is sapping this nation of all its vigour. But what is the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan’s real end game?

To understand their secret power-grab strategy for a one-party nation ruled by one political party with a crony capitalist agenda, we need to understand this government’s manipulation of the centripetal and the centrifugal forces in shaping Nigeria’s socio-political terrain. PDP’s policy is simply to impose an agenda of transforming our democratic government and emerging but creeping free market economy into a nation governed by a rent-seeking cabal. This obsessive fixation on turning our multi-party system into a one-party monopoly has blinded them to the real issues threatening the economy, the safety and mutual co-existence of the Nigerian people.

This fits perfectly into the unprecedented plan of the newly passed Election Act 2010 (As Amended), which seeks to limit the political space by giving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) additional powers to de-register political parties; an action some judges have pronounced ultra vires. The invocation of the Electoral Act 2010, which deregistered FRESH and 27 other political parties, is based on this unstated objective to keep the polity firmly in the hands of the governing elites. This has led many observers to wonder why INEC is behaving so badly, stabbing the rule of law in the head under Jonathan’s watch.

It is also why, even though FRESH and one other party got their de-listing by INEC overturned by the courts, the electoral body ignored this ruling and foot-dragged on compliance until, like in the case of Hope Democratic Party (HDP), it reluctantly allowed the party to join the 2015 electoral contest at the close of nominations. FRESH, though rumoured to have been similarly re-enlisted, has still not been given a letter of recertification at the time of writing.

Politicians like Rev. Chris Okotie who are proposing a new governance paradigm are out of the race- no thanks to INEC’s manipulations; the field is now left for the PDP’s incumbent President, Dr. Jonathan, and veteran candidate, APC’s Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, who is hoping to break the record with his fourth straight shot at the presidency. Their proposed debate, if it ever happens, will reveal a lot. But had Rev. Okotie been allowed the chance to sell his ideals of a new governance paradigm, the public would have been in for a rare treat: a battle between old war horses and a new kid on the block.

We know what Gen. Buhari stands for: anti-corruption, discipline and efficient service